We are truly awash in Princess Dianas these days. Kristen Stewart received an Oscar nod for her role in the surrealist Spencer, and Emma Corrin won an Emmy for her wide-eyed Di in Season 4 of The Crown. Now Elizabeth Debicki grabs the baton and gives us the most tragic incarnation yet: a Diana who has seen some sh*t and who we know will go through more of it. The result is fascinating watch that will keep attracting those people who don’t care about the Royal family but can’t resist The Crown. Get ready, for there will be real-life fallout.
It’s no wonder, then, that King Charles III is said to be very concerned about this season. Specifically, he’s said to be worried about how awful it makes his princely acts look. In response to backlash from Royal supporters, Netflix has been covering their butts by tacking on a “fictional dramatization” label to their most recent trailer. However, Charles probably should be worried because there’s not a single redeemable thing that Charles, the character, does this season.
Yes, he’s now somehow worse (while portrayed by Dominic West) than the newlywed who threw a horrific, days-long tantrum because his wife dared to be likable throughout their Australian tour. A decade or so on, Charles not only treats his wife like garbage but refuses to stop acting like ^^ this ^^ with Camilla. Yes, the notorious leaked phone call where he wistfully wishes that he was a tampon does happen. As well, Charles isn’t so wonderful regarding his mother. He wildly maneuvers in an attempt to “king” himself in the mid-1990s. As we now know, he doesn’t get there until 2022.
On another level, it’s really something that this season is landing right now, not too long after Diana’s younger son, Harry the “spare,” has left the building after watching his own wife (Meghan Markle) allegedly be treated horribly by this same family.
So in a way, this season is “ladies’ night,” although it’s not a celebration full of free drinks at the bar. It’s more of an observation of how Diana survives within this male-crafted institution. Ironically, those ideals are enforced by Queen Elizabeth (now played by Imelda Staunton), who’s all too keen to make a couple stay together despite being in agony, even after she fully realizes that her own marriage ain’t all that. Recent history even tells us that Liz’s husband, Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce), kept a “companion” up until his death at age 99. That would be Penny Knatchbull, and she appears in this season as portrayed by Natascha McElhone. It’s uncomfortable to witness.
If one adds Diana’s misery and Elizabeth’s sudden (and self-quieted) revelations to Princess Margaret’s ongoing unhappiness (after Elizabeth refused to let her marry Peter Townsend back in the early days of this show), man, it’s nuts. All three women were believed to sit in positions of power, but the gilded cage adage rings all too true. Naturally, it’s difficult to feel too bad for Liz, given her status as puppet master. She’s lost much of her likability from previous seasons. This grows all too clear with an on-screen callback to Claire Foy’s Queen christening of the Britannia yacht as a symbol of a mighty nation; soon after, Imelda’s version stomps her feet to demand Britannia’s lavish renovations on the struggling taxpayer’s dime.
Back to Di, though. There’s a moment early in this season when she hears a click on her phone, and then, you know it’s on. She’s been tightly controlled ever since finding out about Charles’ affair on the eve before their wedding, back when this show defecated all over the fairy tale. Well, those phone clicks keep happening, and Diana’s eventually motivated to expose her mistreatment. It’s a stunning but bittersweet development, given that she’s threatened with exile and separation from her sons. We also know that Diana’s Royal exit brought an unintended death sentence to come.
Still, it’s a remarkable sight to see a reimagining of how Diana took the gloves off. It’s quite something to watch her covert participation in Andrew Morton’s Diana: Her True Story biography and her progression toward the BBC interview that paved the way for her divorce. Even though those who followed Diana’s place in history are aware that these things happened, watching it go down onscreen brings the show to a crescendo. In doing so, Diana exposed cracks in the Windsor dynasty.
Those cracks still haven’t healed, and in 2022, Charles is acting a little bit assy as king. He may even go through more prime ministers than his mother did. And with Season 5, The Crown fleshes out a 1990s situation that largely reflects what’s still going on with the Royals. Yes, King Charles III will officially be coronated next spring, but all is not well in a time when the public is (once again) questioning why they fund a monarchy.
With all of that said, a somewhat sad season still offers enough soapy delight for an entertaining watch. There’s literally a raging inferno and a raging prince, and at the center of it all, Diana decides that she will be in charge of her public image. Dodi Fayed is hanging around, too, so more of him will come in Season 6. For now, we gain a sense of who Diana was behind her vulnerable exterior. Her story didn’t last much longer, but at least she told this part of it in the way that she wanted.
Netflix’s The Crown returns on November 9.
